Sweet Scent of Death
by KeyQuis
Summary: OneShot SoulSocietyArc Why did Ichigo do what he did?The reasons aren’t on the surface of his blade.To save someone who wasn’t suppose to be in his life, there must be more to the blood he’s willing to shed.Ichigo x Rukia.


Disclaimer: I have ZERO input in the creation of Bleach. None of it belongs to me.

KeyQuis: If it sounds like I have no idea what I'm writing about…it's mostly because I don't. Only following Bleach from the anime until I drag myself outta the house and buy the manga XD. I hope I don't misspell anything or anyone. IxR?

Summary: OneShot SoulSocietyArc Why did Ichigo do what he did? The reasons aren't on the surface of his blade. To save someone who wasn't suppose to be in his life, there must be more to the blood he's willing to shed. IxR.

!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!

Sweet Scent of Death 

Ichigo braced himself with his Zangetsu. The thick dark scarlet substance stained the blade and drenched the binding cloths on its hilt. It was everywhere, the sickening sight of blood. It wasn't his own blood though. All the shinigamis that fell to his power from his frightful spiritual aura contributed to the filth covering his sword of death. Everything intoxicated his system with the smell of death. He had descended from the earthly plains into the Soul Society just to do one thing, but that one thing required to do so much more. To save her cost him more than his soul.

At least she was safe now. Rukia - the damned wench that forcefully intruded on his already irritating life. Ichigo had enough dealings with exorcising looming spirits in the neighbourhood and she punched his soul out of his body for nightly crime fighting of Hollows. Joy, joy…what a life to live.

Ichigo wasn't the type of guy to puke his guts out at the stench of blood. It was more like adrenaline to him. Blood flowing through ones body was a sign of life, proof that the heart was still beating. He glanced up at her eyes. There were tears sparkling as they mixed themselves with the blood on the ground. How he really hated to see a girl cry.

Actions truly do speak more than words. Was he being too hopeful? Could Rukia ever read his mind and heart when they controlled the words coming from his mouth anyways? Or did his hands do all the talking? The grip on his sword tightened. No, he could never expect innocent Rukia to understand him fully. No, he could hardly understand himself. Kurosaki Ichigo was Kurosaki Ichigo after all, no one else.

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Why?

A question without meaning itself. Why did he damn himself to the Soul Society, become death to fight death and stain himself with sin of death? Why save someone who was already 'dead'?

Because he didn't want it. Didn't want the memory of her existence to be a fragment of death. Rukia Kuchiki was fully alive and even human in his memory. She wasn't just a mere shinigami who had an attitude for justice and honour, she was a girl who loved bunnies and slept in his closet. Rukia was a fellow classmate who irritated the hell out of him with her perfect image and mannerisms. Because they were shinigami partners, Ichigo wasn't going to give up on her life and continue with his as if nothing ever happened between them. How the hell was one to live normally knowing that someone 'close' was going to die? Life couldn't possibly get better with Rukia being executed for a crime he was also a part of. He wouldn't allow for it. That's why.

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Rukia watched the orange-haired boy rustle in his bed. His body was still bandaged after a few weeks since their release. She continued her residence in his closet, content just being in his room. It was Ichigo that she wanted to stay with. Her home was on earth, with him, if her heart's wish could be granted. Belonging to the Soul Society was one thing; belonging to a person was something else. She couldn't understand just yet.

Her shadow faced the other way as the moonlight glistened the blanket's form. The sight of his blood still haunted her. She vividly recalled the sight of his body after all those battles fought for her safety. Her brother…she stopped thinking for both their sakes. There was so much blood and Ichigo's blood radiated with the most life. It ran in his body, emitting the power of its owner's soul. His spirit was a force to be reckoned with and it pained Rukia for him to ever cover himself with blood again. His deathly scent couldn't be missed. She feared it with a human heart. His other scent, one of life and not death, she delighted in.

Ichigo took a deep breath as he tossed his body to the other side. Arms flayed out messily and legs protruding from under his blanket, he continued on in slumber. Maybe he wouldn't mind if his blanket was replaced. Rukia took out spares stored in the closet and hoped he wouldn't know the difference. It was only one night…and one night only. Curiousity could never kill a bunny. Rukia closed the closet door, wrapped herself in his blanket and fell fast asleep in his warmth.

And it didn't matter why.

_Can't seem to let go of what I have_

_Wishes are more than desires of the heart_

_Everyone wants something_

_Everyone needs someone_

_If I find the one thing I want, but I can't have it_

_To the very end, I will be scared_

_If I die, everything will end_

_If I give up, I will cease to exist_

_If I can't protect you, _

_If I can't have you,_

_If I can't…_

_Life wouldn't be as it is…because I can._

_Even if you want nothing more of me,_

_Even if you want me to vanish into death,_

_Even if you hate me…_

_None of that will stop me from getting what I want_

_Look at what your eyes see_

_Listen to your beating heart_

_Feel your trembling skin_

_Taste the tears falling down_

_And breathe with me_

_Answer me this_

_Why are you here?_

_Is it because I am?_

!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!I!

Author's Notes: Spoiling myself is a very bad thing. Overall scene: Ichigo rescues Rukia from being executed in the Soul Society and he's musing over the whole thing. Hasn't happened in the anime yet, but manga says so. Blood: it has its own smell and yeah, enough said. Close to zero fluff level because I don't know too much on this pairing and whether IxR actually exists… First Bleach fanfic and I think the characters are still in line. 'It', from the very last line before the poem starts, is a lot of things. 'It' is suppose to be everything that happened and more, thoughts and emotions melded into one heck of a confusing lump.

The reason for the title was this: I'm guessing shinigami and blood go hand in hand. Ichigo has his own distinct death scent to Rukia…and Rukia would be the sweetness of death. THAT concept was for the fluff version I originally had planned to write, but it trailed off into something else (ahahahahah…not funny to IxR fans though…). I stuck with the title because it still seemed to suit the part at the end. Ahem, Ichigo's blanket should be more than just warm, right? The poem was written with a sad heart because I was trying to capture the 'what if Ichigo has feelings for Rukia, what would he be thinking?' I cheer him on if he does XD!

Oh yeah, if I find for myself that IxR is an official pairing as dictated in the manga and anime, prepare for some mad fluff from my mind (read some of my other works to find out why). Hope readers enjoyed that jumble of words and phrases I wrote.


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